# harry potter stuff that bothers you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466 "2014-02-04T00:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/301 "2014-02-11T05:39:08Z")
Not really something wrong per se, but I wonder what the twins’ reaction was when they found out Remus and Sirius were Moony and Padfoot? ([THIS](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FucbvoFFy0) is my guess.) > [@Kimstu](#): > > I don’t think there’s been a reliable explanation in the wizarding-world context of what magical properties/powers yetis are supposed to have. I would refer you to Gilderoy Lockhart’s _Year with the Yeti_ but it’s doubtless a pack of lies. 😉 > > I imagine that Rowling just went with the “all creatures that are mythical/controversial in real life default to being well-known (albeit rare and/or exotic) fauna in the magical world” principle. Although, of course, the magical world has its own mythical critters, such as the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Yeah – a lot of the creatures in Potterdom are ones that come from ancient myths, legends and even fairy tales. (House elves, for example, are based on the story of the shoemaker and his elves) Banshees, unicorns, spinxes, dragons, etc. So it makes sense that things like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster are also real in the wizarding world. [_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_](http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them_(real)) lists some of them. (It’s a funny book, btw. It’s written like a text book, and Harry and Ron have written notes in the margins) ---
**Author:** ![KKKK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KKKK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KKKK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/302 "2014-02-11T09:55:55Z")
I’ve wondered about the actual power of the Elder Wand. It was supposed to be super-powerful, but in at least two duels between more or less evenly matched opponents, it failed to give its owner the edge. First, Grindelwald, only a shade less skilled than Dumbledore, failed to beat Dumbledore with the Elder Wand. Then in HP5, Dumbledore using the Elder Wand failed to beat Voldemort. So would the Elder Wand actually have helped Harry in a duel against any moderately powerful Death Eater, let alone Voldemort? Also, the way the Elder Wand transferred its allegiance to Harry is really thin. Harry seized Malfoy’s usual wand, so that wand switched to Harry. Why would the Elder Wand, never touched by either Malfoy or Harry, transfer its allegiance to Harry second-hand? In fact, since Malfoy never took the Elder Wand after disarming DUmbledore, and the Wand was later returned to Dumbledore’s tomb, technically the allegiance should have gone Dumbledore-Malfoy-Dumbledore-Voldemort. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/303 "2014-02-11T15:21:12Z")
KKKK: > [@](#): > > I’ve wondered about the actual power of the Elder Wand. It was supposed to be super-powerful, but in at least two duels between more or less evenly matched opponents, it failed to give its owner the edge. First, Grindelwald, only a shade less skilled than Dumbledore, failed to beat Dumbledore with the Elder Wand. Then in HP5, Dumbledore using the Elder Wand failed to beat Voldemort. So would the Elder Wand actually have helped Harry in a duel against any moderately powerful Death Eater, let alone Voldemort? I’m not too bothered by this. I’d guess that in the two cases you describe, the wielder of the Elder Wand was unwilling to kill his opponent (I’m guessing that Grindelwald had some lingering personal affection for Dumbledore), so it wasn’t being used to its full dueling potential. > [@](#): > > Also, the way the Elder Wand transferred its allegiance to Harry is really thin. Harry seized Malfoy’s usual wand, so that wand switched to Harry. Why would the Elder Wand, never touched by either Malfoy or Harry, transfer its allegiance to Harry second-hand? In fact, since Malfoy never took the Elder Wand after disarming DUmbledore, and the Wand was later returned to Dumbledore’s tomb, technically the allegiance should have gone Dumbledore-Malfoy-Dumbledore-Voldemort. Returning the wand to Dumbledore’s tomb wasn’t wresting it from its master against his will. It seems that the Elder Wand attunes itself to whichever master has forcibly disarmed its prior master. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/304 "2014-02-11T20:51:58Z")
> [@](#): > > The thing that bothers me is that it seems pretty common for witches and wizards to marry muggles. How would that work exactly. I mean, for the relationship to develop at all, the magical person would have to lie constantly to the muggle. If they didn’t, the would risk exposing the magical world to someone with whom they are having a possibly short term relationship. But normal conversations such as “What kind of job do you have” or “Where do you live” or “Where did you go to school?” are a minefield if you are trying to keep the magical world a secret. > > So at some point you either marry someone you have been lying to like crazy, or you reveal the truth and hope they won’t be too mad at you for lying for a while, and also hope they won’t then reveal the secret to the world. And once you are married, how would you deal with your muggle inlaws? Lies upon lies would be the only way to make it work. Very unhealthy in a relationship. This doesn’t bother me too much. I see it as similar to being a CIA agent. AIUI they can only tell their spouses, and pretty much keep up a cover story 24-7 for everybody else. (Although here in the DC area you pretty much have a clue when somebody says the “work for the State Dept” and are unable to say exactly what they do). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/305 "2014-02-12T05:04:38Z")
They’re allowed to tell their _spouses_, and some close relatives, I believe (siblings, parents,) After all, Petunia was able to tell Vernon. (Yes, she told him BEFORE they took in Harry, if you’ll recall) One thing that bothered me, and I know Rowling only did it so the story would work, but Voldemort having Nagini kill Snape rather than just Avada Kedavra-ing him. I know otherwise Harry wouldn’t have been able to complete his quest, but I can’t remember if there was an explanation for why Voldemort did it. Was Nagini hungry, or did Voldemort maybe suspect and wanted Snape to suffer? ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/306 "2014-02-12T06:40:10Z")
I thought Voldemort believed the Elder Wand wasn’t “working” for him because Snape was still its master; it was my impression that, as a result, he thought that the wand wouldn’t be able to produce a killing curse. ---
**Author:** ![KKKK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KKKK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KKKK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/307 "2014-02-12T09:07:21Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > They’re allowed to tell their _spouses_, and some close relatives, I believe (siblings, parents,) After all, Petunia was able to tell Vernon. (Yes, she told him BEFORE they took in Harry, if you’ll recall) > > One thing that bothered me, and I know Rowling only did it so the story would work, but Voldemort having Nagini kill Snape rather than just Avada Kedavra-ing him. I know otherwise Harry wouldn’t have been able to complete his quest, but I can’t remember if there was an explanation for why Voldemort did it. Was Nagini hungry, or did Voldemort maybe suspect and wanted Snape to suffer? Nagini biting Snape gave Snape enough time to pass on his memories to Harry (and stare into Harry’s eyes) before he died. If Voldemort had Avada Kedavrad Snape, Harry wouldn’t have got Snape’s memories. I don’t think any other reason was given, except that maybe Voldemort liked to use Nagini as his hitman/hitsnake. I find it hard, though, to believe that Snape died so easily. He was a powerful wizard (even if not in Voldemort’s league). Surely he could have put up a better fight against Nagini – Neville killed her fairly easily? ---
**Author:** ![KKKK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KKKK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KKKK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/308 "2014-02-12T09:20:21Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > KKKK: > > I’m not too bothered by this. I’d guess that in the two cases you describe, the wielder of the Elder Wand was unwilling to kill his opponent (I’m guessing that Grindelwald had some lingering personal affection for Dumbledore), so it wasn’t being used to its full dueling potential. > > Returning the wand to Dumbledore’s tomb wasn’t wresting it from its master against his will. It seems that the Elder Wand attunes itself to whichever master has forcibly disarmed its prior master. I’m guessing Dumbledore wanted to kill Grindelwald even less than Grindelwald wanted to kill Dumbledore – so the Elder Wand should still have given Grindelwald the edge. A wand should attune itself to whoever forcibly disarms its master of that particular wand. Say Malfoy had taken the Elder Wand, and Harry had snatched Malfoy’s spare wand with the Elder Wand remaining in Malfoy’s possession. Why would the Elder Wand switch from Malfoy to Harry? Alternately, Malfoy was forced to leave the Elder Wand and flee – McGonagall or somebody took it back and returned it to Dumbledore. The wand should have changed allegiance away from Malfoy. Or, Voldemort ‘killed’ Harry after Harry had disarmed Malfoy, and the Wand should have changed allegiance from Malfoy to Harry to Voldemort. Harry becoming master of the Elder Wand without ever coming near it just doesn’t seem logical. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/309 "2014-02-12T09:57:20Z")
Snape was prepared for a Voldemort hex to the point that he drew his wand. He was not prepared for Nagini coming up from behind and enclosing him partly in her globe. Dumbledore’s no-kill style is an aberration for the elder wand’s history. It was repeated more than once that the death stick had a bloody history. Minor nit pick: Dumbledore beat Voldemort. Voldemort escaped. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/310 "2014-02-12T11:25:53Z")
My feeling about the Elder Wand is that it was seriously overrated. Its reputation attracted wizards who were already inclined towards violence, and were willing to do nasty things to get it and keep it, but the wand itself wasn’t really All That. What Harry did in spinning his theory to Voldemort that V didn’t actually have the allegiance of the wand was to attack Voldemort’s confidence. Unsure as to whether the wand was truly his, he lacked full conviction in their last duel and it turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy when Harry’s spell turned his back onto himself. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/311 "2014-02-12T16:16:02Z")
KKKK: > [@](#): > > I’m guessing Dumbledore wanted to kill Grindelwald even less than Grindelwald wanted to kill Dumbledore – so the Elder Wand should still have given Grindelwald the edge. If you don’t allow a tool free reign to be used to its full potential, there’s no telling just how much your “punch-pulling” is hampering it. Dumbledore was the more skilled wizard, by keeping the Elder Wand’s power somewhat in check, his lesser skill doomed him in the duel. > [@](#): > > A wand should attune itself to whoever forcibly disarms its master of that particular wand. Who are we to say what “should” or “shouldn’t” happen with a wand in the Rowling fictional world? Heck, the whole idea of “wand allegiance” was only introduced in the last book. Before that, Ron used someone else’s (Bill’s, maybe?) old wand before it got destroyed by the Whomping Willow in book 2, and Neville used his incapacitated father’s old wand until it was destroyed in the fight at the end of book 5, and there was never even a hint that there was anything inferior about that. The rules were probably not invented by her until she wrote the ending scene of book 6. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/312 "2014-02-12T16:20:33Z")
Neville did not kill Nagini “easily.” He was able to kill it because he had the Sword of Griffindor. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/313 "2014-02-12T16:40:15Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Neville did not kill Nagini “easily.” He was able to kill it because he had the Sword of Griffindor. But Snape had the elder wand. Are we to believe that the most powerful wand ever created is weaker than a goblin made sword? ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/314 "2014-02-12T16:48:47Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > But Snape had the elder wand. Are we to believe that the most powerful wand ever created is weaker than a goblin made sword? As others have mentioned, the elder wand seems highly over-rated. But I also think the comparison you make might not make much sense. Different tools are designed for different purposes, and it seems reasonable\* to me that a snake might be magic-proof and yet still vulnerable to a magical, venom-infused sword. (\* For definitions of reasonable that include speculating about fictional magical items. 🙂 ) This is especially true if you remember that Nagini was not just a snake, but a horcrux. I don’t remember how Dumbledore broke the ring, but Potter and friends were only able to destroy horcruxes via the basilisk’s venom (either straight from a fang or from the infusion of venom into the sword). They tried every spell they knew on the locket without success. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/315 "2014-02-12T17:23:10Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > But Snape had the elder wand. Are we to believe that the most powerful wand ever created is weaker than a goblin made sword? Snape didn’t have the Elder Wand, Voldemort did. Snape presumably had his own wand. Voldemort simply believed that Snape had its allegiance, which is why he killed Snape. Also, Voldemort using Nagini to kill Snape was clearly written in service to Snape giving Harry his memories, I’m not arguing that. However, using Nagini doesn’t feel contrived to me, because it fits with Voldemort thinking that the Elder Wand would not function correctly if used against its true master. I think Snape didn’t defend himself because he was taken by surprise, first by Voldemort’s unexpected decision to kill him, and second by the unusual method of flinging Nagini at him. Snape wanted to sneak off and find Harry so he could pass on his information. Voldemort mortally wounding him and then leaving before he breathed his last, while Harry happened to be nearby watching was just a lucky coincidence. Now that I read it, the whole thing does seem awfully convenient. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/316 "2014-02-12T17:46:24Z")
dracoi: > [@](#): > > a snake might be magic-proof and yet still vulnerable to a magical, venom-infused sword. Nagini wasn’t inherently magic-proof, Voldemort had (once he realized that Harry was hunting Horcruxes) placed Nagini in a magically-protective “cage”, and when he thought Harry was dead and himself safe, he removed the “cage” from around Nagini. > [@](#): > > I don’t remember how Dumbledore broke the ring He used Gryffindor’s sword. The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black told Harry and Hermione this (don’t recall if Ron was with them at that moment), that’s how they knew the sword could destroy Horcruxes. oft wears hats: > [@](#): > > Now that I read it, the whole thing does seem awfully convenient. There’s a lot that was awfully convenient for Harry in the books, especially books 6 and 7. But not to the point of breaking suspension of disbelief, at least not to me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/317 "2014-02-12T21:26:29Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That’s weird. The files themselves seem to work fine in my eReader program. However, I did notice that the download filename is screwed up. Maybe it’s just where I uploaded them. > > Let me try another hosting location: > [ol] > [li][Harry Potter and the Natural 20](http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=71732537592390944177)[/li][li][Harry Potter and the Confirmed Critical](http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=56109729239792056618)[/li][/ol] Am I to assume that no news is good news, and no one’s had trouble with these links? ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/318 "2014-02-12T22:45:57Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Am I to assume that no news is good news, and no one’s had trouble with these links? I can download it just fine, but I don’t have access to my Kindle just now, will test it later. I was meaning to ask you - how did you scrape it? I couldn’t get copy paste or anything to work on that site. I was trying because it kept crashing all the time. And I hate pausing my reading. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/319 "2014-02-13T01:23:21Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I thought Voldemort believed the Elder Wand wasn’t “working” for him because Snape was still its master; it was my impression that, as a result, he thought that the wand wouldn’t be able to produce a killing curse. Snape used the killing curse on Dumbledore, so Voldemort figured Snape was the Elder Wand’s master. Actually, it was Draco who had disarmed Dumbledore and was the Elder Wand’s master. Voldemort didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/320 "2014-02-13T01:53:02Z")
> [@KKKK](#): > > Nagini biting Snape gave Snape enough time to pass on his memories to Harry (and stare into Harry’s eyes) before he died. If Voldemort had Avada Kedavrad Snape, Harry wouldn’t have got Snape’s memories. I know that was the reason. I’m just wondering why Voldemort would do so. 😉 That’s all. I would’ve liked to know how the twins figured out how to work out the Marauder’s Map. It’s not a huge deal, but it would be interesting. I’m also hoping that Pottermore will put up Wormtail’s bio eventually, and we’ll find out how he came to live with the Weasleys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=17)